Power Rangers Jungle Fury: RANGER TROUBLE, DANGER DOUBLE
by AnimeJunkieGrrl
Summary: Two new enemies invade Ocean Bluff and are stronger than the current Jungle Master Modes combined. When their backs are against the wall, it's up to Gwen and Keenan to find their own Master modes or all is lost. Post-GOAC and Pre-BTTB.
1. Chapter 1

Hey, guys! I'm back with another installment of everyone's favorite PRJF series! Well, I know it's mine. LOL. Anywho, I'm sorry for the delay. I was updating some of my other neglected fics. Now that that's cleared up, let's begin, shall we?

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing Power Rangers, Disney or Saban related. I do wish I did. Again, 32 episodes… NOT ENOUGH! LOL

A/N: This installment is set between **Ghost of a Chance** and **Bad to the Bone.**

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><p><strong>Power Rangers Jungle Fury: RANGER TROUBLE, DANGER DOUBLE<strong>

The air within the lair of the dark lion lord was thick with tension and the stench of failure. The wily Camille paced back and forth in the main chamber as she contemplated the latest defeat she suffered at the hands of the rangers who grew in strength thanks to the core three achieving Jungle Master Modes.

"Oh… that was brutal." She murmured to herself in a pained tone.

"Brutal, indeed."

Camille whipped around to see Carnisoar and Jellica enter the room and judging from their body language, they were none too pleased with the results of the last battle.

"How did they manage to gain such immense power?" Jellica asked he reptilian underling before turning her attention to Dai Shi. "And Dai Shi, how could you fail to destroy them?"

"Leave him alone!" Camille protested in Dai Shi's defense. "Neither of us is at fault. We had no idea they'd be looking for the Jungle Master mode, so back off!"

In a move that would only be described as… suicidal, Camille launched an attack on the more experienced Jellica. Try as she might, the sly chameleon was no match for the Sea Overlord as Jellica easily warded off the lizard's advances with her trusty staff.

"Watch your tongue, little girl!" Jellica threatened. "Before I rip it out and use it to polish my staff!"

Camille pursed her lips tightly out of reflex and backed away from Jellica as she didn't want to incur her wrath any further. The Sky Overlord smirked as his comrade put the mouthy reptile in her place and looked at his feline inspired protégé with disdain.

"Dai Shi, it's become painfully clear that your rinshi aren't fit for the task of destroying the rangers. For this reason, I decided to call in a couple of favors."

"Favors? From whom, might I ask?" Camille asked timidly.

"Just watch… you might actually learn something." Carnisoar held up his arms and his majestic wings fanned as he called out to the heavens. "My warriors; come forth!"

The ornate double doors open to reveal a female hyena dressed like she was a hip-hop DJ complete with headphones draped around her neck and a masculine wolverine who wore a streamlined version of samurai armor. The duo walked in much to the delight of Jellica.

"Ah, the infamous Switchblade and Howlena." Jellica acknowledged. "Your reputation precedes you."

"Oh, thanks, girl! Publicity is everything, you know!" Howlena cackled. As she did, the scowl Switchblade wore gave everyone the impression that he was about to toss his cookies.

"It boggles the mind how someone could remain so cheerful all the time. It makes my head hurt." He grumbled.

"Oh, lighten up, sweetie!" Howlena begged. "I think it's great that we're celebrities."

"I'd hardly call us 'celebrities', Howlena." Switchblade shot back in a low voice.

_"Whoever said opposites attract must have had these two in mind."_ Camille thought in disbelief at the conversation between the two newcomers. Growing annoyed, she finally spoke up. "Just what do they bring to the table besides material for those daytime talk shows I keep hearing about? They don't look so tough."

Those were fighting words as far as the two honored guests were concerned because Howlena whipped around to face Camille and turned street in the blink of an eye.

"Excuse you!? I got your 'tough', Miss Thang! Peep this!"

Howlena slow walks up to Camille as if she were on the Serengeti Plains. Carnisoar, Jellica and Switchblade wisely cover their ears and Dai Shi follows suit. Camille, however, is oblivious to what everyone else is doing. Howlena looks the chameleon in the eye and lets out a scream that could have been heard on the other side of the planet. The sound waves from that scream blew Camille into the far wall and she nearly made an impression in the hard stone.

"And that's how I roll! You BETTER think twice before you step to me again, trick!" She warned. Even though it came out as her trademark jovial cackle, the tone was not misconstrued. She was as serious as a heart attack.

Camille, who was now trying to shake the cobwebs, slowly rose to her feet and walked back to her original spot.

"Duly noted." Camille conceded before she looked to the shogun wolverine. "And him? What's his talent?"

"He has a name! Somebody get her before I go off on her again!" Howlena shouted, but Switchblade just held up his right hand to calm her down.

"It's alright, Howlena." He said in a low, deep voice before he looked Camille in the eye. "And you don't want to know… trust me."

"On the contrary; I believe I do." At this point, Camille morphed into her own battle armor and held her sais at the ready. Camille just chuckled at the scene and stepped back to allow her belligerent beau to show what he can do.

"Come at me, lizard!" He ordered.

"Allowing the lady the first move… how noble of you."

"Nobility has nothing to do with it."

The crafty reptile just scoffed at her opponent before rushing at him with sais gleaming in the torchlight. Switchblade just shifted his weight slightly and before Camille could land even one strike with her weapons, streaks of light flew through the air signifying his retaliation against Dai Shi's right hand. Camille's screams could be heard as the wolverine ceased his assault. To everyone's amazement, Camille's armor bore the claw marks of his vicious attack before she powered back down to her human form.

"As I said, nobility has nothing to do with it." Switchblade repeated.

"Alright! I stand corrected!" Camille groaned.

"Impressive." Dai Shi praised.

"I told you we could bring it!" Howlena cackled happily.

"Indeed. Not even the rangers' Jungle Master modes can stand up to your powers." Jellica observed.

"In light of this new development, you are now charged with the destruction of the Power Rangers." Carnisoar granted. "Go and leave nothing in your wake!"

"You know how we do!" Howlena looked at Camille and smirked.

"We shall succeed where others have failed." Switchblade bowed to both the Sky and Sea overlords and turned to leave, but not before Howlena gave Camille one parting word…

"Deuces!"

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><p>Meanwhile…<p>

The animal hospital was as busy as ever when R.J., Fran and the rangers decided to drop by for a visit. The head chef of JKP walked up to the receptionist's desk where the young intern looked up.

"Hi; are Keenan and Gwen around?" He asked.

"Yeah, they are. Keenan's in the wild animal compound and Gwen…" The girl checked the daily schedules and the clock on the wall. "…should be finishing up with a patient by now. Would you like to wait for them?"

"Sure."

"Great. Just have a seat over there."

A few minutes passed after they took their seats in the waiting room and soon Gwen appeared with a book in her hands. As she walked over to speak to a nurse, Fran and the rangers notice that she was being followed by a parade of six baby ducklings.

"Awww, they're so cute!" Lily cooed.

"Adorable."

The yellow balls of downy fuzz peeped and followed Gwen as she went from one nurse to the next. After she finished her rounds, Gwen looked up to see her friends waving to her.

"Hey, guys."

"Hey, Gwen." Theo greeted with a chuckle. "Um, I'm not sure if you know this, but you're being followed."

The head vet looked behind her to see six fluffy babies looking up at her. With a smile, she looked back to her friends.

"Oh, yeah. Their mom got hit with a wayward baseball and broke her wing. She's getting patched up while we look after her babies."

"Oh, that's awful. She's gonna be okay, right?" Fran asked with concern.

"Of course. She's in good hands here." Gwen nodded.

"That's good." Casey replied.

"Oh, where's Keenan right now?" Lily wondered aloud.

"He's looking after Serena." As Gwen relayed the information, her brother walked in and noticed Lily looking at the ducklings for what seemed to be a long time.

"Don't even think about it, Lils." He warned gently.

"What? I can't look at baby ducks?" Lily asked in slight disbelief. She knew what they were driving at, but she just played it off.

"Look, yes. But we had to make a wanted poster with your picture on it." Gwen smirked. "They're still talking about the Great Makomba Caper around here."

"Oh, come on. You know I can't resist something so adorable. It's his fault for being born so cute." Lily pouted and that made Keenan laugh.

"It's alright, Lily. We still love you and know you wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Kidnap… now, that's another story." Gwen added with a laugh.

"That's not fair. Don't you trust me, Gwen?" The yellow cheetah asked.

"Ask me again when I figure out why there are four ducklings behind me instead of six." Gwen stated with her right eyebrow slightly raised and arms folded. Lily's guilt didn't become evident until peeps were heard coming from Lily's pockets and two yellow balls of fluff popped out to say hi to everyone.

Everyone immediately turns to Lily who just laughs nervously.

"Uh… you like my new mp3 players? It's called iFluff!" Fran just hung her head down in shame as the guys held in their giggles.

"How!? For real, I think we need an alarm system to signal when Lily takes one of the animals." Keenan joked and Gwen held out her hands.

"Jig's up, Lily."

The blonde cheetah looked down at her fuzz filled pockets with a look of annoyance on her face; but she couldn't stay mad at the babies.

"Thanks a lot, you two." Lily couldn't help but giggle as she gave the ducklings back to Gwen. "Can't blame a girl for trying."

Gwen just shook her head as she set the little ducks down with their siblings.

"Okay, now go with the nice nurse so you can visit mama, okay?"

The six ducklings peeped cutely and did as they were told. As they followed the nurse to see their recovering mother, Gwen just looked at the guilty cheetah.

"I know what you're gonna say; I'm sorry." Lily apologized. "I guess I can't help myself around babies."

"I guess not." The ebony ranger smirked. "Oh, speaking of babies… I was hoping you guys would stop by because I wanted to show you this."

"What is it?" Casey asked.

"It's sort of a baby book I put together with pictures of all the little ones that we treated here." Gwen opened the book and inside were hundreds of pictures of all the juvenile patients that came through their hospital. The group marveled at each picture but it was a pair of spotted babies that caught their attention. "That was the day Makomba and Sapphyri were born. They're eyes weren't even open yet."

"Aww!" Lily squealed from the cuteness overload and that was when an earsplitting scream was heard over Lily's voice. The sound was enough to make everyone inside cover their ears.

"Geez, Lily; tone it down!" Fran tried to shout over the piercing screams.

"That's not me!" Lily shouted back; her voice barely audible over the noise.

Before they could react, the scream rose in volume and the sound waves shattered every piece of glass in the front of the hospital.

"Oh, man! We just had those installed!" Keenan groaned.

"Not really an issue, bro!" Gwen reminded.

When the noise finally died down, RJ looked to the others with a knowing glance.

"Fran, you stay here. We'll go see where that sound came from."

"A-alright. Just be careful, okay?" Fran replied as she adjusted her glasses.

"We will, Fran." Casey and the others ran out and followed the noise to its source. When they arrived, they saw a creature standing there.

"Youch! Who let the dogs out?" Theo asked in disgust.

"Just what we need right now. A monster who's ugly AND tone deaf!" Casey added.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" The voice boomed and soon the first monster was joined by another. "You'll regret those words!"

"And I know you ain't baggin' on nobody's looks, you Justin Timberlake knock-off!" Howlena shot back at Casey. "And what about you? I think Jet Li exploded and you're one of the pieces!" She directed that insult towards Theo.

"Talk about double trouble." Lily replied. "Didn't Dai Shi try this last time with Bai Lai and Carden?"

"Don't insult us by lumping us in with those two has-beens." Switchblade snarled back. "We're far superior to those birdbrains."

"We'll see about that! RJ, you and Fran get everyone to safety. We'll handle the rest." Casey said to his mentor.

"Right." RJ nodded and ran back towards the hospital to aid Fran in getting the employees somewhere safer. Once the coast was clear…

"Let's do this! Ready?" Casey asked the others.

"Ready!" They answered. The five rangers slipped on their Solar Morphers and shouted…

**"JUNGLE BEAST! SPIRIT UNLEASHED!"** In five flashes of light, the Jungle fury Rangers were poised and ready to face off against this new evil duo.

"Oooh! Pretty colors!" Howlena laughed maniacally.

"It's a shame they'll all be stained with your blood when we're finished." The hulking wolverine threatened.

"Not happening!" Gwen shot back. "Although, I'd love to see how black and blue looks on the both of you!"

"Let's take these guys down before they cause any more damage." The red leader suggested.

"I'm surprised they haven't called for any rinshi yet." Theo observed.

"We need no assistance; especially not from those underlings." Switchblade answered.

"Yeah, we got this!" Howlena cackled.

The five rangers call for their secondary weapons and charge at Howlena and Switchblade with the boys taking on the wolverine samurai and the girls taking on the hyena. The battle ensues and much to the chagrin of the rangers, they're having a tough time getting the upper hand with the duo despite the numbers being in their favor. After a few traded blows, Switchblade and Howlena landed punishing kicks that knocked all five rangers back.

"Man, they're tough." Keenan groaned.

"Then how about going Master?" Lily suggested as Casey helped her up.

"You read my mind, Lils."

"Yeah, good call!" Theo agreed.

**"JUNGLE MASTER MODE!"** The core three shout.

Their bodies glow with fiery auras in their respective colors and three claw-like devices appear in their right hands.

**"CLAW BOOSTER!"**

Casey, Lily and Theo hit the buttons on top of their new accessories and their suits and helmets gain new white accents and jets. The new transformation leaves Gwen and Keenan awestruck.

"Awesome!" Gwen gasped.

"Now, that's what I call an upgrade!" Keenan agreed.

"Hmmph. I'm not impressed." Switchblade scoffed.

"Let's see if we can't change that!" The red tiger replied.

The threesome rushed forward to meet Switchblade but the samurai-esque wolverine used his sharpened claws to block every punch, kick and strike the rangers threw at him.

"THIS is the all-powerful Jungle Master mode? What a joke!" Switchblade scoffed.

"Joke? I love jokes! They're so funny!" Howlena laughed.

"Try laughing this off!" Lili and her teammates all shout… **"FIRING JETS!"**

The jets on their suits come to life and the threesome rocket forward to perform a finishing blow… but they were in for a surprise.

"Nice battle cry… but check this out!" Howlena stood in front of her beau, took a deep breath and released a scream that blew the three rangers back towards Gwen and Keenan. The volume and the force of the sound also knocked them all out of their morphs.

Gwen and Keenan run over to help their fallen friends.

"Whoa, are you guys okay?" Gwen asked with concern.

"Could be better." Casey grunted.

"Man, we got worked big time!" Lily groaned as Keenan helped her up.

"YEAH! How you like that?" Howlena taunted. "You guys are wack! I barely broke a sweat!"

"For once, my dear, I agree. These weaklings are not worth out precious time or effort." Switchblade then looked to his lady. "Let us leave."

"Yeah, let's kick rocks! Deuces, losers!" Howlena and Switchblade vanished from sight leaving the rangers to wallow in defeat.

"Okay, what just happened?" Theo asked.

"You don't wanna know." Keenan answered with a cringe.

Casey stood there looking at the spot where their strongest foes to date stood and clenched his right fist.

"If they can beat the Jungle Master Modes, what can we possibly do to win?" He thought to himself. He looked to his friends and let out a sigh. "Come on, guys. We need to go back to the loft and think of a plan."

"Let's just hope we can come up with one that works." Theo groaned as they made their way back to JKP.

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><p>END OF CHAPTER ONE<p>

Yikes! Looks like the rangers have finally met their match! How are they gonna beat these new foes if they're not strong enough? Stay tuned and as always, read, review and Pass it on. I'm also working on Love Across Time so hopefully I'll have an update either by the end of this week or the beginning of next week. Until next time, CIAO FOR NOW!


	2. Chapter 2

Hey, everyone! I'm back with another chapter of my Jungle Fury series. Since I'm trying to get back into the swing of things let's get to it, shall we?

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything Saban, Disney or Nickelodeon related in regards to the Power Rangers so don't sue me! Thanks. LOL Now, on with the fic!

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><p>Casey and the others were trounced by Howlena and Switchblade. Not only were they strong enough to beat all five, they were formidable enough to defeat the core three in their Jungle Master modes. As the rangers, along with R.J. and Fran, retreated back to JKP, Dai Shi was showering praise upon the two newest enforcers as they entered the lair's main throne room.<p>

"Impressive." The black Lion Lord praised.

"Indeed. The rangers couldn't hope to withstand so much power! Bravo!" Jellica nodded.

Howlena and Switchblade walked in like they were being photographed by the paparazzi. They were soaking up every bit of praise being thrown at them.

"I told you we got this!" Howlena cackled happily. "It was fun beating down those little losers!"

"Agreed. I want to go back and finish them off." Switchblade grunted; this time, it was a sign of contentment.

"Patience. You both will have your chance to destroy the rangers once and for all." Carnisoar reassured. "For now, let them wallow in their defeat."

"Let them stew over getting stomped on so bad… I like your style!" The hyena DJ laughed.

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><p>Back at JKP…<p>

Everyone managed to slip in through the back of the restaurant and make their way up to the loft where their secret headquarters were housed. They have never face an enemy who could stand up to three rangers in their most powerful forms and it weighed on their minds heavily. Although most of them were concerned about beating this new foe, one was coming to grips with some new information she just acquired.

"This is so unreal. I can't believe that you and Keenan are rangers, too, Gwen." Fran said in amazement.

Gwen was about to say something when what Fran said finally registered.

"Yeah, we're… wait… you mean, you know about the others being rangers?" The black panther asked wide eyed. "When did that happen?"

"Last week. I think you and Keenan were out of town for that veterinary workshop." The spectacled girl replied as she adjusted her glasses.

"It was also when Lily, Theo and I got our Jungle Master modes." The red tiger chimed in.

Fran proceeded to tell Gwen and Keenan about how she stumbled upon their secret and how she watched their fight with Dai Shi on R.J.'s many televisions. She conveniently left out the part about sitting in his precious green chair.

"And that brings us back to our problem. Those two new monsters were incredibly strong." Keenan sighed. "Nothing we did made a dent."

"You're right. We need to think of a way to beat them." Theo added.

"But how? Even your new Jungle Master modes weren't strong enough." Gwen said as she paced the room.

Everyone in the loft wracked their brains to find a viable solution to their problems when the silver eagle piped up.

"Hey, Casey. Where did you and the others get your new modes anyway?"

"Well… before the whole fight with Dai Shi, R.J. wanted us to go back to basics with our training because we were getting too complacent…"

"… and cocky…" Theo admitted.

"Yeah, and cocky." Casey relented. "After we battled this frog monster called Mog, we all thought were all that."

"And that was when R.J. told us that we were getting too overconfident. So, he made us practice our basic fighting stances and that was when Dai Shi called us out." Lily continued.

"His power levels were off the charts." R.J. recalled with his usual swagger. "It blew my mind. I didn't want them to confront him."

"But we went anyway." The blue jaguar remembered. "We believed that we could take him and his Shadow Guards on."

"Boy, were we wrong." Lily sighed. "When we got there, I took on Dai Shi first while Casey and Theo tangled with his guards. I pulled out my Jungle Mace and even use my Cheetah Jabs but Dai Shi just shrugged it off like it was nothing. I even brought out my cheetah spirit and he plowed through it like it wasn't even there!"

"No way!" Gwen and Keenan gasped.

"Way. After he was done with Lily, I tried my hand at Dai Shi, but me and my fans were no match for him." Theo recalled painfully.

"Then it was my turn and I didn't fare any better." Casey began. "I even tried going in with my Strike Rider, but Dai Shi scrapped it like nobody's business… gave me the worst case of road rash ever!"

"Yikes!" The silver eagle cringed.

"The worst part came when we pulled out all the stops and called for the Claw Cannon. But even that was no use! Dai Shi just held his hand up and the blast got parted like the Red Sea. It didn't even phase him!" The blonde cheetah groaned.

"No, the worst part came after that. He called his own lion spirit and took all of us down in one blow. He had us right where he wanted us. We would have been toast if it hadn't been for R.J. saving us." Theo admitted.

"He was prepared to fight Jarrod but knew that even he wasn't strong enough to stand up to him and that was when Dai Shi said he'd spare us… if R.J. surrendered himself to him." Casey said remembering that day.

"There was only one choice I could make. I wasn't about to let Dai Shi hurt them anymore… so I gave myself up." R.J. sighed. "Before I was captured, I told them that they knew what to do."

"And we watched as Dai Shi's guards took R.J. away." Casey recalled. "You can't even imagine the helplessness we felt then."

"And the guilt. If we weren't co overconfident…" Lily began.

"And if we had listened to R.J. in the first place, he wouldn't have been captured." Theo finished. "So, we come back here to wallow over what happened and that was when R.J.'s words hit us about going back to basics."

"We decided to go all the way back to basics and back to where this all started-Pai Zhuq Academy."

"Well, if that's what you did then, that's what we do now." Gwen nodded as R.J. chimed in with his usual upbeat attitude.

"Alright. Boys and girls, we're going on a field trip. Fran…"

"I know. Don't worry. I'll hold down the fort until you guys come back." The pigtailed employee smiled.

"You're the best, Fran!" They all shouted as they left the loft via the vines and the large hole overlooking everything.

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><p>Meanwhile…<p>

The five rangers, along with R.J., arrive at Pai Zhuq Academy. Despite it looking the same as when they left, the aura surrounding the prestigious school was very different with the absence of Master Mau. As they all set foot on the hallowed grounds, the six former students all looked around as memories flooded back to them.

"As much as I'd love to reminisce, we're pressed for time." Gwen sighed with purpose as she looked to Casey. "So, where did you guys go for answers?"

"The Forbidden Room." Casey answered. "That was where it all started when Jarrod stole the box that held Dai Shi's spirit and…" He paused because he didn't want to bring up the fact that Gwen and Keenan's adoptive father met his end at Jarrod's hands. "… and where Master Mau…"

"… drew his last breath?" Gwen asked softly and the three cubs nodded solemnly.

"We're really sorry, Gwen. Keenan. If we'd have known…" Lily began.

"Guys, it's alright. It wasn't your fault." Gwen reassured.

"Yeah, we don't blame you for what happened." Keenan added. "Like Gwen said before, dad made the right choices when he picked you three."

"Thanks, guys." Theo smiled. The siblings took a cleansing breath to shake off their emotions regarding their father and got their minds back to the task at hand.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go to the Forbidden Room." Keenan urged.

"Uh… we can't go." Lily stalled.

"Huh? Why not?" The panther asked.

"No, when I said 'we', I meant Casey, Theo and I."

"She's right." R.J. stepped in. "They already went. This time, the two of you have to do this alone."

"Alone? I don't know if we can." Gwen whispered.

"We know you can. We have faith in you." Casey nodded. "There's a reason Master Mau chose you, too. Don't forget that."

"Thanks, Casey." Gwen smiled back. "Wish us luck, okay?"

"Good luck." The group bade. Lily, who sported a slight pink tinge to her cheeks, walked over to Keenan and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

"Be careful, okay?" Lily said as she and Keenan both sported matching blushes.

"I will. I have a good reason to come back now." The silver eagle smiled. Gwen looked over at her younger brother and smiled. She was happy that one of them finally made a move. Before she knew, R.J. pulled her body into his and held her in a tight, warm hug.

"R.J…" She whispered.

"I know." He whispered back as he held her closer. "Promise you'll come back to me."

His voice sent shivers down her spine as she nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. The feel of his five-o'clock shadow against her skin alone gave her the motivation to return safe and sound.

"I promise." The panther and wolf masters reluctantly loosen their embrace and were now looking into each other's eyes. "Hold down the fort until we come back, okay?"

"You know we will. Now, hurry." R.J. nodded.

As Casey and the others left Pai Zhuq, Gwen and Keenan entered the fabled Forbidden Room.

* * *

><p>"Man, I only remember dad bringing us in here once." Gwen whispered.<p>

"Yeah, when we were kids." Keenan recalled. "This room looked a lot bigger then."

"Tell me about it. And it's just a creepy looking now as it was then, too." The black ranger said before she let out a loud sneeze. "Ahh-CHOO!"

"Bless you."

"Thanks, bro."

The siblings quickly looked around the ancient chamber until…

"Hey; look at this!" Kennan called to his sister.

"What is it?"

Keenan held his lantern up to the wall fresco that depicted all the masters in their animal forms.

"Check it out. It's Master Phant, Swoop and Finn."

"Cool! There's a gorilla, antelope and penguin. And there's Dad." Gwen pointed out the representation of Master Mau's cat spirit. But what caught her eye were two other spirits. "I wonder who these masters are. There's an owl."

"And a falcon. But that doesn't help us, sis. Those masters were destroyed during the Great War dad told us about."

"That is true." A voice affirmed from behind them. The siblings turn to see who spoke and the glowing image of their smiling father materialized and turned corporeal.

"Dad!"

The siblings walk over and hug their father who happily returned his children's embrace.

"Are we glad to see you? We have a huge problem." Gwen reported.

"Switchblade and Howlena?" Master Mau asked and the two adopted children nodded in affirmation. "I was afraid of this. Those two are so diabolical."

"And loud. My ears are still ringing." Gwen groaned as she shook her head.

"That's why we need help." Keenan added. "Even the others Jungle Master modes couldn't beat them. They were that strong."

Master Mau's face showed just how concerned he was that even at their highest level, his students were still struggling.

"This is troubling, indeed."

"It is. Is there a way we can help?" Gwen asked her father.

"There is one way. You could seek out your own Jungle Master modes as the others have."

"How did they achieve theirs?" Keenan asked.

"Casey, Lily and Theo had to venture into the Spirit World via a portal I opened for them and battle three long passed masters-Master Rilla, Master Lope and Master Guin." Master Mau explained. "You must do the same."

The black panther looked back at the fresco and eyes the two masters that were unfamiliar to her.

"Dad? Who are those masters?"

"They are Master Hoot and Master Talon." Master Mau sighed.

"They must be who we have to face once we get there." Gwen surmised.

"I'm sorry, but you're not going." He forbade.

"WHAT!?" The siblings shouted unintentionally.

"Daddy, are you nuts? We have to go! Casey and the others are counting on us!" Gwen protested.

"Did they tell you that I also forbade them to go? I was completely against it because I knew it would be their toughest test to date."

"But you eventually let them and now they have their upgrades." Keenan debated. "So why is it different for us? Because we're your kids?"

"That's exactly why." Their father replied.

The siblings just looked at their father with a look of utter disbelief on their faces.

"Dad, that's not fair! You trained us just like you trained Casey and the others. You trusted in their abilities and they succeeded, and so will we." Gwen argued. "I understand that we're your kids, dad… but look at us. We're not 'kids' anymore."

"I know Gwen and I can do this… and keep down, I know you think so, too." Keenan chimed in. "So, please, dad. We have to go."

Master Mau debated letting his children go on such a dangerous quest, but he took a good look at the two standing in front of him and discovered that Gwen was right… they weren't "kids" anymore. They were adults and power fighters who could handle anything thrown at them… even an overprotective father. He let out a chuckle and smiled at the siblings.

"You're absolutely right, Lotus." He said using his daughter's nickname. "I guess I still have a hard time accepting the fact that you're all grown up."

"It's cool, dad." Keenan smiled.

"And I should treat you as such, which is why…" Master Mau went through the motions and opened the swirling portal that led to the Spirit World. Gwen and Keenan stood awestruck at the spectacle. "I must warn you as I did with the others… this will be your toughest test to date."

"We know, dad. We'll do our best to pass with flying colors." Gwen nodded before turning to her brother. "Ready to do this, bro?"

"Always."

"Good luck, my children. And be safe."

The siblings nod to their father before jumping into the portal.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile…<p>

Casey and the others, including Fran, are all sitting in the loft as they anxiously wait for Gwen and Keenan to return from the Forbidden Room at Pai Zhuq.

"Wow. I still can't believe Keenan and Gwen are rangers, too." Fran said with wide-eyed wonder.

"Not only that, they're Pai Zhuq masters like R.J." Theo added.

"Really? I didn't know that. I also had no idea that… ahem… is there something going on between you and Keenan?" The young waitress asked Lily. The one donning yellow blushed at the question. "I notice the looks you've been giving each other."

"Maybe." She dodged.

"And I know someone in this room has eyes for Gwen. Am I right?" That was when everyone turned their gaze to the master pizza chef who was sporting a grin.

"Is it that obvious?" He asked.

"It's as plain as the glasses on my face, boss." Fran smirked. "So what do you think's going on right now?"

"I have a feeling they're gonna go through the same thing we did when we went to the Spirit World." Casey wondered aloud.

"You mean they'll have to go through some kind of test?" Fran asked.

"Yeah. Casey, Lils and I each had to face our fears during our tests." Theo said. "I guess all that talk about us not being afraid of anything caught up to us."

"Whoa. I can't even imagine what fears they'll have to face." Fran said aloud and she looked over at R.J. who looked worried. "Hey, Keenan and Gwen are gonna be fine. She'll come back; I know it."

"I hope so, Fran. I hope so." He sighed.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile…<p>

After spinning for what seemed like an eternity, the master siblings arrive in the Spirit World… with Gwen landing on top of her brother.

"Ugh! Where are we?" She groaned.

"No idea, but you're on my back squishing my kidneys!" Keenan grunted.

"Oh! My bad, bro!" She apologized as she got off of her brother and helped him up.

"Thanks. And to answer your question, I think we're in the Spirit World."

"Both siblings look around at the serene, yet haunting surroundings.

"Okay, this makes the Forbidden Room look like Romper Room." Gwen said with a slight shudder.

As if on cue, two figures step out of the fog and walk towards the two masters. First, a man dressed in garb that was a mix of Native American and Asian styles walked out. He had long black hair that was adorned with falcon feathers and wore a necklace of talons. The woman had on a form fitting suit that looked much like Master Guin's; the only exception were the goggles that were situated on her forehead and her hair was in a short blonde bob. The four masters just stare at each other before the Spirit Masters charge at the siblings with the male going after Keenan and the female going for Gwen. Keenan and his opponent trade powerful punches and kicks before taking to the sky. The two engage in an aerial dogfight where the spirit master used his impressive speed to outmaneuver Keenan. When the eagle lost sight of his opponent, he looked up and the spirit master used the sun as a blinder while he dive-bombed Keenan so hard he fell to the ground with a hard thud. On the other side of the coin, Gwen and her opponent are locked in a fierce battle where the panther planned on using her silent stealth to her advantage. The spirit master ducked into the dense fog to gain the upper hand and Gwen decided to use the same technique she used against Camille in her first battle with the wily chameleon. She stood still to home in on her adversary's movements, but she couldn't. She couldn't hear a single sound.

_"That's impossible!"_ She thought to herself in disbelief. She was literally knocked out of her train of thought by the spirit master swooping in form the left and kicking her to the ground next to her brother. She and Keenan struggle to stand as they found themselves being handed a defeat by the spirit masters.

* * *

><p>END OF CHAPTER 2<p>

* * *

><p>Oh, boy! Our sibs are in the fight of their lives in the Spirit World. Just what kind of test will they have to face and it it's the same as the one Casey and his friends endured, what fears will they have to face? As always, read review and pass it on. I'm working on the next chapter of Love Across Time as well, so check it out. Until then, Ciao for now!<p> 


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